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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. tear — from crying
  3. root — of a word
  4. bass — low music
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. saw — the tool
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. content — happy
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com